• Question: what is sodium chloride?

    Asked by niallmarsh12 to Dilwar, Lou, Rachel, Simon, Susan on 11 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Simon Langley-Evans

      Simon Langley-Evans answered on 11 Nov 2013:

      Sodium chloride is the chemical name for what we normally call salt. It is a white solid that is quite difficult to dissolve in water. Our bodies need small amounts in the diet in order to keep normal processes going, but too much salt in the diet increases our blood pressure and this can lead to heart disease. For a young adult no more than 5g a day salt is a good limit to stick to.

    • Photo: Dilwar Hussain

      Dilwar Hussain answered on 11 Nov 2013:

      Sodium chloride is also known as salt. it is made up of sodium and chlorine. It’s in the oceans, in living organisms and is most commonly used for cooking.

    • Photo: Susan Skelton

      Susan Skelton answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      Sodium chloride is made of equal amounts of sodium and chloride. It is the proper scientific name for what we usually just call salt.

      It occurs naturally in the sea and in the ground. Table salt that is used for cooking is produced by evaporating sea water to leave the salt behind, or by mining salt from rocks.

      Lots of micro-organisms (bacteria etc) cannot live in very salty environments, so salt is added to food as a preservative to keep the food fresh longer.

      As well as for cooking, salt is also used on the roads in winter to make them less slippery and prevent accidents. When water and salt is mixed, it makes a solution called brine. Brine freezes at a lower temperature than plain water, so putting salt on an icy path or road can melt the ice and make it safer.

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